310 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



clay, and wet spongy lands. The main requirement in regard 

 to soil is permeability. The grape will flourish in any soil not 

 positively injurious, if its roots can easily penetrate it. Other 

 things being equal, the warmer the soil the better the success, 

 and this leads me to speak of 



Aspect. — All writers on the grape, concur in giving the first 

 place to a south aspect. A gentle slope, sheltered from the 

 north and east winds, and on which the sun darts his genial 

 rays during the whole day, warming the earth to a good depth, 

 and bathing the plants in light from morn till night, is undoubt- 

 edly the best. In such a situation the plants receive a larger 

 share of light and heat than in any other ; and light and heat 

 are the great essentials in the successful culture of the grape. 

 The vine will succeed well, however, in any aspect from east to 

 west, but always the best where the sun warms the earth to the 

 greatest depth ; a south-west aspect will be better than a south- 

 east, and a west better than an east, because the sun lays upon 

 it in the latter part of the day, and in the autumn, when the 

 grapes are ripening, this afternoon sun is of great service. We 

 do not, however, always have choice of aspect, but we may cul- 

 tivate the grape successfully in any aspect, from west to east, 

 preferring first the south, next south-west, next south-east, next 

 west, lastly east. 



The soil should be stirred to as great a depth as possible, say 

 two feet ; three feet would be still better, but it is not often 

 possible to trench three feet. It is a very good plan to plough 

 the ground with a double Michigan plough, or to follow two or 

 three times in the same furrow, deepening the soil as much 

 as possible. I do not think tiie soil need be made very rich for 

 our native vines, which seem in this respect, to have a different 

 constitution from the foreign grape ; but it will be well to 

 plough in some light rich compost before planting, because it is 

 not so easy to supply it afterward, and it will lighten the soil. 



The only substances which seem to be absolutcl3Miecessary to 

 the grape, are bone dust and ashes. A peck of bone dust well 

 incorporated with the soil, and half a peck of ashes, will be 

 enough for each vine. 



Planting. — Some cultivators prefer plants of two or three 

 years' growth, in order to get the vine soon into a bearing state ; 

 but in planting a vineyard, I think well rooted and vigorous 



